Loading structure and method for laundry machines

ABSTRACT

A COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY MACHINE RECEIVES A PREWETTED LAUNDRY LOAD FROM A HOPPER BY WAY OF A TRANSFER CHUTE. THE INITIALLY DRY LOAD IS PLACED INTO A HOPPER WHILE THE HOPPER IS IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, AND THE HOPPER IS SUPPLIED WITH LIQUID IN ORDER TO WET THE LOAD. A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TRANSFER CHUTE IS NORMALLY SPACED FROM THE MACHINE TO PERMIT ACCESS, UNLOADING AND THE LIKE. THE CHUTE IS PIVOTED INTO LOADING POSITION WHEREIN IT IS DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE RELATIVE TO HORIZONTAL, AND THE HOPPER IS PIVOTED ABOUT THE SAME AXIS TO DISCHARGE THE LAUNDRY LOAD INTO THE CHUTE. THE COHESIVE WET LOAD SLIDES AT A CONTROLLED LOW VELOCITY FROM THE HOPPER ALONG THE CHUTE AND INTO THE MACHINE. LIQUID SUPPLIED DURING TRANSFER REDUCES FRICTION, AND A PADDLE MEMBER ASSURES COMPLETE EMPTYING OF THE LOAD INTO THE MACHINE.

June 27, 1972 A. TOTH ETAL 3,672,820

LOADING STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Dec. '7, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet} All" ALEX 70TH ROBERT H. FESM/RE //v VENTORS" A. TOTH ETAL June 27, 1972 LOADING STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

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I/VVENTOES' ALEX 70TH ROBERT, H. FESM/RE ATUf fiE YS United States Patent 3,672,820 LOADING STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Alex Toth, Lincolnwood, and Robert H. Fesmire, Barrington, 11]., assignors to Ellis Corporation, Chicago, Ill. I

Filed Dec. 7, 1970, Ser No. 95,849 Int. Cl. D06f 39/00 US. Cl. 8-150 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A commercial laundry machine receives a prewetted laundry load from a hopper by way of a transfer chute. The initially dry load is placed into a hopper while the hopper is in an upright position, and the hopper is supplied with liquid in order to wet the load. A pivotally mounted transfer chute is normally spaced from the machine to permit access, unloading and the like. The chute is pivoted into loading position wherein it is disposed at an acute angle relative to horizontal, and .the hopper is pivoted about the same axis to discharge the laundry load into the chute. The cohesive wet load slides at a controlled low velocity from the hopper along the chute and into the machine. Liquid supplied during transfer reduces friction, and a paddle member assures complete emptying of the load into the machine.

The present invention relates to improvements in laundry loading methods and structures useful in connection with commercial laundry machines.

Laundry material received for treatment by a commercial, industrial or institutional laundry system is typicallyin a dry or nearly dry condition. Normally such material is divided into discrete loads of predetermined size and the dry loads are placed into a commercial laundry machine. The loading operating may be carried out manually by a worker who places the material into the machine access doors, or semi-automatically by a loading apparatus with manual assistance. After the laundry loads are received into the machine in a conventional laundry system, liquids are then added to the machine in order to wet the load and begin a washing operation.

This typical procedure is subject to serious disadvantages hindering complete automation of the laundry system and resulting in inefficient use of the laundry machine. A dry laundry load is extremely difficult to handle in an automatic loading operation because of its light weight, high friction, large size, lack of cohesion and tendency to tangle. Thus, when automatic loading is attempted, as a practical matter it is necessary for a worker to be present and assist the loading operation to be sure the entire load is transferred and is clear of the machine door.

Furthermore, wetting the laundry load in the machine is inefi'lcient. When liquid is added to a dry load in the machine, a substantial time period is required during which the load soaks up the liquid before the load is fully wetted. During this time interval, in effect the machine is idle and is not carrying out a washing function. Moreover, if a so-caller pre-soak operation is employed before the usual washing cycle, the idle time of the machine is increased.

Among the important objects of the present invention are to provide an improved structure and an improved method for the loading of a commercial laundry machine; to provide an arrangement wherein loading is facilitated by wetting of the load prior to transfer of the load into the machine; and to provide a pre-soak and wet loading arrangement which is convenient to use, compact, does Patented June 27, 1972 ice not obstruct the laundry machine, and rapidly accomplishes loading without splashing, damage to the machine or the like.

In brief, the above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the provision of an improved structure and method for loading a commercial laundry machine. In the loading of a machine having a series of access doors, a series of hoppers is disposed above and to the side of the machine, and hoppers are charged with dry laundry loads to be Washed. Liquid is added to wet the loads in the hoppers without the necessity of machine idle time. If desired, the loads may be subjected to pre-soaking in the hoppers. A series of transfer chutes are normally held away from the machine to permit access, unloading of the machine and the like. In order to load the machine the transfer chutes pivot about an axis to a load transfer position, in which position each chute extends from a hopper to the machine at an acute angle to horizontal. The hoppers then tilt about the same axis to discharge the wetted loads into the previously positioned chutes smoothy and Without spillage. The wet, compact loads slide easily from the hoppers into the machine along the transfer chutes at a controlled velocity preventing pounding of or damage to the machine. To aid the sliding action, fluid may be channelled from the hopper through the chute and into the machine during transfer of the load. A paddle structure mounted on the chute may be employed to insure complete transfer of the load from the end of the chute.

The invention together with its objects and advantages appears from consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a laundry machine and loading structure constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the machine in the un loading structure in the normal position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the machine in the operating and loading position and illustrating the loading structure partly in the loading position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the loading structure fully in the loading position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the loading structure taken from the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of part of the loading structure taken from the line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the structure of FIG. 5 taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated an improved loading structure constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated as a Whole by the reference numeral 10. The loading structure 10 serves to supply loads of laundry in a reliable, rapid and fully automatic fashion to a laundry machine 12.

The principles of the present invention are applicable to the loading of many types of laundry machines including rotary unloading machines and pivotally unloading machines of various sizes and types. In the typical installation illustrated in the drawings for purposes of example, the machine 12 is a pivotally unloading washer having a fixed base structure 14 and a pivotally movable portion including a cylindrical casing 16 enclosing a washing cylinder (not shown) adapted to be rotated about its central longitudinal axis by a motor drive unit 18 during washing operations. The interior of the washer 12 is subdivided into four washing compartments, to which access is had through four axially spaced door openings in the cylinder and casing 16. The doors of the casing 16 are moved to their open positions for loading and unloading of the washer by means of door handles 20. The peripheral location of the door openings is indicated in FIGS. 1-3 by a broken line identified by the reference numeral 22.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the washer 12 is shown in its normal washing position wherein the casing 16 is resting on the base 14. To unload the washer 12 into a suitable conveyor or receptacle such as the illustrated cart 24 (FIG. 1), the casing 16 is pivoted by a fluid cylinder 26 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1. A further description of the laundry machine 12 beyond that required for an understanding of the present invention may be found in United States Pat. No. 3,285,466 to Hubert C. Ellis.

Proceeding now to a description of the loading structure 10, in accordance with an important feature of the present invention the laundry loads to be supplied to the machine 12 are not loaded into the machine in a dry condition as is the normal practice, but rather are fully wetted prior to carrying out the loading operation. This approach greatly facilitates the loading process because the wet laundry load is highly compact and cohesive, is relatively heavy and has a relatively low coefficient of friction. As a result, the wet laundry load is loaded into the machine 12 with far greater ease than a dry load, and fully automatic loading of the machine 12 is possible. In addition, since the load is wetter prior to insertion-into the machine, more eflicient use of the machine is obtained. Moreover, the loading structure 10 of the present invention makes possible a pre-soak operation prior to the usual washing cycle without tying up the machine during the pre-soak time period.

In general, for each compartment of the machine 12 the loading structure 10 of the present invention includes a hopper 28 and a transfer chute 30 each pivotal about a common axis defined by a pivot shaft 32. The hoppers 28 are pivotally movable between a normal, upright position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a discharge position illustrated in FIG. 3. The transfer chutes 30 are pivotally movable between a normal, standby position illustrated in FIG..1 and a load transfer position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Advantageously both the hoppers 28 and the transfer chutes 30 in their normal and standby positions are disposed well above and to the side of the machine 12 thereby permitting ready access to the machine and permitting unloading of the machine and the like. ,-As illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the hoppers 28 are in their normal position and the chutes 30 are in their standby position, there is ample room for movement of the casing 16 of the machine 12 to its illustrated unloading position.

In accordance with further features of the present invention, there are provided novel arrangements for facilitating and aiding the loading operation. A liquid supply system generally designated as 34 and illustrated in FIGS. -7 supplies liquid to the hoppers.28. Liquid may be channelled from the hoppers 28 through the chutes 30 and into the machine to aid transfer of the loads. A novel transfer chute sweep assembly generally designated as 36 assists in the transfer of the load through the transfer chutes 30.

In carrying out a loading operation with the loading structure 10, dry or nearly dry laundry loads are placed into the hoppers 28 and are fully wetted by liquids added to the hoppers 28 through the liquid supply system 34. If desired, the liquids may also serve to heat the laundry loads, and/or to carry out washing operations, pre-soak operations or the like. During the time that the load and accompanying liquids are contained within the hoppers 28, the machine 12 may complete a previous washing cycle, be moved to the unloading position of FIG. 1, emptied, and returned to the normal position of FIG. 2.

After the machine 12 returns to its normal washing position, the loading operation may commence. Initially, the transfer chutes 30 are moved from their standby position of FIG. 1 to their transfer position of FIG. 2 through the operation of a chute moving assembly generally designated as 38. In accordance with the invention, the chutes are disposed at an acute angle to horizontal and are moved into position prior to the discharge of the laundry loads and liquids into the chutes. The acute angle is selected with respect to the weight and friction of the laundry loads to control the velocity of movement ofthe loads from the hoppers into the machine. The velocity is greatly reduced from that which would be attained by vertically dropping the loads, thereby eliminating damage to the machine 12 from pounding of the loads into the machine. Furthermore, movement of the transfer chutes 30 into position prior to emptying of the hoppers into the chutes reduces the problem of spillage of fluids during the loading operation.

After the transfer chutes 30 are in position, the hoppers 28 are pivoted about the shaft 32 by fluid cylinders 40 thereby to discharge the laundry load and fluids contained within the hoppers 28 into the transfer chutes 30 and through the doors of machine 12 into the interior of the machine. In accordance with the invention, the liquid supply system 34 may operate to flow liquids from the hopper 28 through the chutes 30 and into the machine 12 during the transfer operation there by to reduce friction of the load during loading. In addition, the sweep assembly 36 operates at the end of the load operation to insure complete injection of the laundry loads from the chutes 30 into the machine 12.

be provided above the normal hopper positions for de-.

positing laundry loads into the hoppers from an upper floor or the like. Alternatively, an overhead sling conveyance system of known construction may be employed.

With reference to FIG. 4 of the drawings, further details of construction of the hoppers 28 and the transfer chutes 30 may be seen. The hoppers include a common bottom wall 50 as well as a common rear wall 52 including an inclined upper portion serving to prevent splashing during the loading operation. The hoppers 28 include a pair of spaced outer side walls 54 and 56, and adjacent hoppers are separated from one another by three spaced interior walls 58 (FIGS. 5 and 7).

To facilitate the discharge of the contents of the hoppers 28 into the transfer chutes 30, each hopper includes a spout portion 60 including a lower lip wall 62 and spaced sidewalls 64. As best appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side walls 64 of the spout portions 60 are disposed to form a series of slots 66 between adjacent spout portions.

With reference now to the construction of the transfer chutes 30, the chutes include a common bottom wall 68 as well as a pair of spaced outer walls 70 and 72. The individual transfer chutes 30 are separated from one another by three interior walls 74. The outer walls 70 and 72 differ in configuration from the interior walls 74 in order to permit intermeshing of the chutes 30 with the hoppers 28 and to reduce splashing. The configuration of the outer walls 70 and 72, as appears in FIGS. 1-3, is such that the hoppers 28 descend between the outer'walls relatively soon in the course of the pivotal movement of the hoppers. The interior walls 74 are somewhat relieved inwardly so that when the hoppers 28 reach the full discharge position of FIG. 3, the spout portions 60 of the hoppers are received within the chutes. The slots 66 formed between adjacent spout portions receive the interior walls 74.

With reference to the chute moving assembly 38, in the illustrated arrangement the assembly includes a motor 76 mounted at any desired location spaced from the chutes 30. A chute elevating cable 78 extends from the motor 76 around an overhead pulley 80 and is connected to the outermost portion of the chutes 30. Operation of the motor 76 in dilferent directions serves to raise and lower the chutes 30 as desired.

Referring more specifically now to the novel liquid supply system 34, hot and cold conduits 82 and 84 are adapted to supply hot and cold liquids from suitable sources to the hoppers 28. A pair of fluid operated valves 86 and 88 control the admission of liquids to a mixer fitting 90 and a liquid supply manifold 92. As best appears in FIG. 7 and by comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3, fluid from the manifold 92 is supplied through four flexible liquid conduits 94 to the bottom wall 50 of the hoppers 28- are spaced locations, one registering with each of the hoppers 28. In order to insure even distribution of fluid over the entire Width of the hoppers and to prevent fouling of the liquid supply system 34 by laundry or foreign objects, there is provided a perforated disperser plate 96 extending across the width of each hopper 28.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the friction existing between the laundry load and the hoppers 28 and the transfer chutes 30 is reduced by the addition of fluids through the liquid supply system 34 to the hoppers during the laundry loading operation. Fluid received within the hoppers 28 through the disperser plate 96 while the loading structure is in the loading position of FIG. 3 serves to flow liquid from the hopper through the transfer chute into the machine .12. The liquid is spread across the full width of the hoppers and chutes and forms a sheet of moving fluid greatly reducing friction between the wet laundry load and the loading structure and encouraging smooth and rapid movement of the load into the machine.

The structure of the transfer chute sweep assembly 36 best appears in FIGS. 14. Associated with each chute 30 is a sweep or paddle member 98 having a size and shape roughly complementary to the interior dimensions of the chute 30. The paddle members 98 are fixed by clamp elements 102 to a support rod 100 mounted for rotation in journal elements 101 carried by a brace member 1103. The outermost ends of the rod 100 carry a pair of rocker arms 104 through which the rod 100 is pivoted under the control of a pair of fluid cylinders 106 mounted outwardly of the side walls 70 and 72 of the chutes 30.

Normally the paddles 98 are retained in the positions illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and wherein they do not obstruct the interior of the chutes. At the completion of a loading operation, the fluid cylinders 106 are operated to their retracted position to sweep the paddle members from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3. This sweeping action effectively and reliably clears the chutes 30 completely of any portions of the laundry load which might otherwise not be emptied fully into the machine 12.

The loading structure of the present invention is highly reliable and manual assistance of the loading operation is unnecessary. In addition, the structure 10 is suited for automated operation, and a suitable programming device may be provided for controlling the operation of the various components to automatically carry out the entire loadings process.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrated embodiment, those skilled in the art may devise other modifications and embodiments falling wtihin the true spirit and scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Loading apparatus for use with a commercial laundry machine comprising a hopper adapted to receive a laundry load, mens mounting the hopper for pivotal movement about an axis between an upright load receiving position and a discharge position in which the hopper is tilted, liquid supply means for adding a charge of liquid to sad hopper for wetting the load, and a transfer chute mounted for pivotal movement about said axis between a standby position clear of the machine and a transfer positionwherein said chute extends from said axis to the machine for conveying the laundry load from the hopper to the machine.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said hopper having a spout portion received within said chute in the discharge position of the hopper.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said liquid supply means including a liquid inlet disposed adjacent the bottom of the hopper.

4. The apparatus of claim 6, said liquid supply means being operable to supply liquid in both the load receiving position and the discharge position of the hopper.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means for dispensing the liquid across the width of the hopper.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a paddle means mounted on said chute for assisting the movement of the laundry load through the chute.

7. A method of loading a commercial laundry machine comprising the steps of:

(1) placing a load of laundry in a hopper spaced from the machine,

(2) adding liquid to the hopper in order to wet the load and thus decrease the size of the load, decrease the friction of the load, and increase the weight of the load,

(3) positioning a transfer chute between the hopper and the machine at an acute angle relative to horizontal, and

(4) tilting the hopper after positioning of the chute to discharge the wetted load into the chute for sliding transfer into the machine.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising flowing liquid from the hopper along the chute and into the machine during discharge of the wetted load.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising applying a pushing force to the load in the chute positively to eject the load from the chute into the machine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,400,467 9/1968 Drace 68-210 X 3,416,438 12/1968 Weatherly et al. 68-2l0 X FOREIGN PATENTS 467,594 6/1937 Great Britain 68-2l0 1,078,033 8/1967 Great Britain 68--210 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 8-158; 68-210 

